Entrepreneurship Episodes

Most revenue cycle teams are chasing the wrong fire. Persistent underpayment, denials that don't respond to appeals, patterns nobody can explain — these are often contract problems wearing a billing problem's disguise.

Before you deploy capital into a tele-behavioral health market — run this checklist.

Rate sheets alone will mislead you. I've seen operators get into markets with strong Medicaid rates, only to get squeezed by high clinical labor costs, concentrated MCO power, or zero licensure compact coverage.

Why are employers paying up to four times Medicare rates for identical procedures? Dr. Kumar Dharmarajan joins Alex Yarijanian to break down incentive alignment, Medicare Advantage contracting, AI-driven engagement, and the structural pricing gap between MA and commercial markets.

In this episode, Alex Yarijanian breaks down what’s actually showing up in payer conversations right now, long before final CMS rules are published. Drawing from real contracting, network, and delegation discussions, Alex explains why waiting for regulatory clarity is already costing providers and health tech companies leverage.

This episode also outlines who is most at risk heading into 2026, the three types of organizations positioned to win, and what provider and health tech leaders should do in the next 90 days to stay relevant.

How Health Tech Startups Can Win at Managed Care Contracting: Insider Strategies for Scalable Payer Partnerships.
This episode dives deep into the essentials of navigating managed care contracts as a health tech startup.

Whether you're a founder, operator, or policy strategist, you'll walk away with a clear understanding of how to position your company for payer partnerships, structure risk-based contracts, and avoid common pitfalls in the healthcare financing space. We explore real-world examp...

In this episode of the VBCA Podcast, host Alex Yarijanian delves into the challenges faced by healthcare startups in the value-based care (VBC) sector, emphasizing the critical importance of robust patient acquisition strategies. The discussion highlights how many startups, despite ambitious goals to enhance patient outcomes and reduce costs, struggle to meet volume requirements and maintain contracts due to inadequate patient engagement approaches.